Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Is this monitor "tame" because he is not under his basking spots or do they really get this tolerant of humans? For example you can hold a baby alligator if it is cold, but if it gets up to its warm temp range it suddenly becomes nasty.

Some can and do become very tame/tolerant. I think they're as individual as we are and the problem as I see it is, people see those ultra 'tame' monitors and expect their's to be the same. They're setting themselves up for disappointment in most cases and end up either neglecting, or discarding the monitor.

Not 'all' tame/tolerant monitors act tame because they're not under a basking light. I can go into my albig's room and my female will come off her basking spot of 130f to check me out. Sometimes it's for food, sometimes she climbs up my leg and if I let her, she'll just hang out, or take a nap. Her favorite thing to do is climb down from the 5' high log, onto my shoulder. She likes to flick her tonge in my face and climb on top of my head.
I have a pic of this 4' lizard sitting on my head!

Don't anyone tell me, the only thing they want us for is food, it's not true. With some individuals, there's obviously a desire to either bond, or be physically close to another body, be it human, another monitor, or whatever.

My male is much different, he doesn't act so 'lovable' as my female, but that's what I love about them. They're not boring!

I would like to see a pic of a 4 foot monitor on your head LOL. Mine are not that human tolerant but I was never really expecting them to be. Maybe they will become that way in time who knows. I tend to move their hide spot when I feed them that probably doesn't help it gets them a little stressed I think.

>>I would like to see a pic of a 4 foot monitor on your head LOL. Mine are not that human tolerant but I was never really expecting them to be. Maybe they will become that way in time who knows. I tend to move their hide spot when I feed them that probably doesn't help it gets them a little stressed I think.

At first I was amazed to him lounging by the dogs, but then thinking about it Im not. He's comfortable, well fed and not the least bit frightened. At festivals and educational expos Ive seen large monitors, and medium gators interact with people like that. Remember too though, they get lots of breaks. Many after 30 minutes they are put in cool enclosure for an hour. Why because with constant interaction they can become testy, even the calmest animal. This is the same with all non domestic animals. At our local zoo the Komodo even does short interactions with people.

In addition, many of the animals you see in this environments are not babies, most atleast a few years old and accustomed to handling. They also, no and trust their handler.

Like Susans Albigs, they have no reason to act defensively or fear her so they often investigate her. My young female, when in a good mood now will come up and tongue flick my hands when Im changing her water and stuff (Funny she gets tail slap happy when my son or husband walk in the room, but from me she knows what to expect). My female Sav whose always been...WILD. now comes to my hands without charging or hissing, only gives a small warning hiss if I try to lift her, after 16 months each time Im in her enclosure she's less defensive and more curious that the time before.
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1.1.0 YBS
1.3.0 RES
1.0.0 red belly cooter
0.0.2 mud turtles
1.1.0 Savannah Monitor
0.1.0 Blackthroat monitor
0.1.0 Leopard Gecko
0.1.0 Mountain Horned dragon
2.1.0 Ball pythons
1.0.0 Bearded dragons
cats, dog, ferrets, rabbit, rats.

They dont even know what kind of monitor it is! Thats a Ornate Monitor ( varanus ornatus), NOT a Nile ( varanus niloticus). And to let a 4ft varanid on your head or near your face is foolish. I dont care how "tractable" the animal is. Imagine the damage from a bite to the head/face or neck.

I once had a 4.5ft albig sitting on my shoulders sleeping, never again. Some guy was walking past as I was walking to the door of a reptile show years ago, the guy bumped the lizard lightly with his hand, and I received a bite on my right ear, the ear was half torn off!!
It didnt feel that bad but the panic at the hospital when i showed up caused me to get right in without waiting in line in the ER. I was amazed how fast it healed but then again Ive always been a rapid healer.
This was a very tractable, tame, friendly albig.
Feeding accident, hand feeding Sobeks uncle Shadow once the mouse wrapped around my finger when he grabbed it, and I couldnt move to get away at that time. The sound was like a broomstick snapping, it was swollen for a week, to this day I have a free floating piece of bone in that finger.
There have been others, mostly my fault, but these were mild in comparison, aside from the flavi-argus bite that went through my thumbnail, and took glueing my thumb and nail together for a while, along with 2 days of pulsing pain in my hand and arm.

See you know first hand exactly what I'm talking about SHvar. Sadly most have the "it wont happen to me" attitude. I just hope they share photos when it does.

Thanks
Anthony

A lot of people aren't aware how hard some reptiles can bite its not that they are trying to be reckless. You just have to be careful with some species, thats why I don't keep the giant monitors and venomous snakes I'm too reckless

Mmmm, your experience of walking around in public with a large lizard on your shoulder, versus mine- in the privacy of their own enclosure (controlled environment, with no external influences to spook them)
Not trying to show the world how 'cool' I am, just bonding with my girl.
Worlds apart. Also, my own business and if I want to share it, I will

On the contrary, he was being taken to see someone from out of state who wnated to see him after seeing im a year prior at hatchling size. Not at all showing him off, in fact Im always telling others unless you are going to a reptile event (around other reptile enthusiasts, not average people) to leave your monitor at home or out of sight. Seeing large scary looking, monsterous lizards, big snakes, crocodilians in public places aside from events with reptile hobbyists, and those expecting to see them present is always a negative thing for our hobby.
By the way the flavi-argus bite occured in my own home in front of my wife, the bite with Sobeks uncle which broke my finger was at home feeding (in his cage), 2 bites with bosc monitors in the past with some messy bleeding and multiple bites with my old timor were at home (most in their cages). Im sure I can remember many more bites that occured with less damage, all at home.

[Some guy was walking past as I was walking to the door of a reptile show years ago, the guy bumped the lizard lightly with his hand]

You have to watch those 'reptile enthusiasts', more than the 'average person', who would probably not touch a 4' lizard with a barge pole

As for getting bites and broken bones from monitors at home, I'm well aware of the damage they can and I don't like pain, that's why I use tongs to feed them, esp' Brutus.

If I do receive multiple bites and broken bones at home, as you have, mmmm, let me think, I don't think I'd admit it. You win that one!

All this talk of monitor bites and no serious permanent damage done by the monitors? lol I know someone that was bitten by her green iguana. As a result, her pinkie finger are no longer functional for typing because the bite sever her tendon and now she can't flex it, and there was one lady who had her entire finger bitten off by an iguana. Now that's gruesome! I know iguana are vegetarians, but they have sharp teeth like great white shark for cropping large pieces of tough leaves, and unfortunately because of this, they can do some serious damage if they decide to bite. When my Bosc monitor was little, he bit me and held on for a bit but surprisingly it didn't hurt, but when my iguana bit me which was roughly the same size at the time, his teeth slice through my skin and it stung afterward and it was only a nip. I've heard of damage croc monitors can do. I know someone that was bitten by a croc monitor (a tame one at that), and his entire finger was nearly sever and he was bleeding quite a lot, too. All this talk of reptile bites is what makes me keep smaller reptiles and encourage other people to do the same and think twice before getting something as big as some of the big monitors and iguanas. I tell them if you get one, you should still be careful no matter how tame they seem because they are still wild animals.

I was bitten years ago by a few bosc and it gets your attention, sometimes bleeds a bit, but isnt that bad, but I was bitten by a very young Tanzanian WT at around 18 or so inches and that little sucker felt like a pair of vice-grips, my thumb bled for a while. The lizard hung on and bulldogged several times. We ended up dunking the thing under water and carefully prying the jaws loose. This was in a petstore, the employees knew me well and usually had an extra pair of leather gloves around, but they couldnt be found.
The last bite I actually had aside from dogs has been my flavi-argus. I dont plan on it happening again. The last bite before him was an ackie (which wasnt that bad at all), and before that has been years.

[many of the animals you see in this environment are not babies, most atleast a few years old and accustomed to handling. They also, know and trust their handler.]

That's a good point about the difference between babies and long term captives. Also about them 'knowing and trusting' their handlers.

I NEVER handled my 'babies', they just became trusting and inquisitive. I still don't 'handle' them. They handle me

btw- the pic of her on my head is the second one of Dozer in that latest video I posted a few days ago.
Bear in mind, I had the cam in my hand at arms length and couldn't see what was in the viewfinder! You can just see that what she's lying on, is the top of my head. She's such a beast

I see people handle their monitors in pics and what not but I think your right let them get used to you on their terms is a better approach.